OnTheAir Live goes from version 1.2.14 to version 3.0. The reason for that version jump is that OnTheAir Live 1.3.5 still used QuickTime to preview and trim the clip in the inspector. This could be confusing as OnTheAir Live was not able to read some files that OnTheAir Node could, or the other way around. With version 3.0 we now use the same engine for the OnTheAir Live preview as OnTheAir Node 3 uses to playout files. So the files that can be read by both applications are identical. This is a major change in itself which then diserved a major version number change. By using a version 3 we also bring it in pair with OnTheAir Node which is also in version 3.

So there were a lot of changes, but most are "under the hood". But here is what's new for version 3.0 :

Added the ability to scrub in the timeline of the playlist (hold the cmd key down and click - requires OnTheAir Node 3.3 or later)

This is the first official release of OnTheAir Node 3 with the Smart Playout Engine (SPE). Some have been released before and it is already 3.1 version because the engine that is built in there is the same as the one of OnTheAir Video, and we wanted the build numbers to correspond between the 2 applications. OnTheAir Node has thus the same stability with an engine already in use at hundreds of installations worlwide.

With the Smart Playout Engine built in, OnTheAir Node 3 now has all its bells and whistle, see below the major new features in this version compared to the previous version using the NAVI playout engine.

Note that OnTheAir Node 3 is compatible with the previous versions of OnTheAir Live and OnTheAir Manager.

What’s new in OnTheAir Node 3.1 ?

More codecs supported (it would be easier to say what we don’t support then list all the codecs we support

Support for a “Virtual Output” (No need to have a video device to stream as you can playout to a virtual output, and stream with MovieRecorder 3 thanks to the direct link between the 2)

Direct Link to MovieRecorder 3 for easy recording/streaming (no need for an additional video card, the frames are sent from one application to the other running on the same Mac). MovieRecorder 3 is not yet available but will be released soon.

ATEM plugin to control ATEM routers directly from the playout through an ethernet connection

After having spent a few days with a new Mac Pro (base configuration with 4-core, Dual D300, 12GB RAM), we can say that it really is a Mac made for Softron! We also had the chance to test a higher end configuration (8-core, Dual D700, 64GB RAM), to see what you could achieve with each configurations and Softron’s playout and ingest software.

INGEST with MovieRecorder 2When talking about MovieRecorder, which still uses the QuickTime APIs, the most important factor here is the CPU. The GPU is not used a lot and the basic configuration (Dual D300) will be just fine. The better the CPU, the more channels you’ll be able to do.Generally speaking, we can say that we were able to achieve one HD 1080i Apple ProRes (LT) ingest per core.

4 channels on the 4 core

8 channels on the 8 core

Note that we were then using a little bit more then 70% CPU then, and the computer is then at its limit. For safer operations, you may want to use for example a 6 core for 4 channels and a 12 core for 8 channels.

Also, these numbers will be different with other frame size and fps, as well as with different codecs.

PLAYBACK with OnTheAir Video 3 In OnTheAir Video 3, both the CPU and GPU are important, specially when using the SMART resize and graphics.

Basically, the CPU will be used mainly for the decompression of the files. So if you want to decode 4K video clips encoded in H264, you should consider using a higher end CPU such as the 6 or 8 core.

The GPU will then be used for resizing the file to the desired resolution (if needed) and overlay graphics, so the requirements of the graphics card will be bigger:

the more you use videos of different resolutions that require a resize to fit in the output

the bigger the « target » resolution = the resolution of your output. (NTSC = easy, 4K = a lot to of dots to calculate!)

the nature of graphics that you want to overlay and the number of layers (Text and still images = easy, animation = hard)

In our tests, using the Dual D300 configuration, we were able to read files in ProRes LT, resize and overlay a ticker, a still image, a clock, and a rotating logo (source = movie ProRes 4444 file), all that on a 4K output.

Using the D700 configuration, and more importantly the 8-core (for decompression) we were able to add 3 more HD outputs on top of that 4K output, which is pretty amazing.

ConclusionThe new Mac Pro is really the most powerful Mac that we have seen so far. On such a small form factor, it is pretty impressive to be able to do all that, and the more so, silently. Now we’ll have to invest in our converters, hard drives and other peripherals so they are silent too. Maybe the next big hit in the industry is already not 4K anymore, but... silence )

Our tests are not finished yet, and we will come back with more feedback, and long term tests with more video outputs.

As usual, we give these results for information only, it is not contractual as it can vary following your specific configuration, and we always recommend that you run tests with the demo versions available on our website.

OnTheAir Video Express, OnTheAir Video and OnTheAir Node now come with new prices.

OnTheAir Video 3 is now priced at $ 2.795 / € 1.995. HD, logo and schedule options are now built-in for that price!OnTheAir Node 3 (available soon) is now priced at $ 3.495 / € 2.495. HD and logo options are now built-in for that price!As the software completely evolved with new features such as the Dynamic Graphics overlay, and streaming, and because for example, HD options were standard nowadays, we changed our price structure to make it easier to read and understand. Features that were once optional (HD, logo, schedule) are now built-in in the standard licenses.

OnTheAir Video Express 3 is now priced at $ 995 / € 695.It now uses the same Smart Playout Engine as OnTheAir Video and OnTheAir Node, but without the Dynamic Graphics Overlay, nor smart resize or streaming option. It is a completely new version, that is now 64 bit, with seamless playback and support for many codecs and support for Avid DNxHD® and MXF, playlist can also now be edited when playing out, and many more nice features. To bring all those nice features and be future proof (Apple is phasing out of the QuickTime APIs) we could not use the good old QuickTime API anymore, and use more functions more complex to develop and maintain, and this is the reason why we could not keep the same price for version 3, not because we wanted to.

Note that the new price is have taken effect now, even for current versions. For more information on prices, options and upgrades, check our online store. Find the UPGRADE that’s right for you !If you already own a license and want to upgrade, check the Smart Playout Engine upgrade program page to easily find the upgrade for you ! Just select the product you have and which one you want to get.

We have released new versions of most of our apps with a fix in the “Contact Softron Support”. The issue prevented in some configurations to send the correct System log file and System Profiler. Make sure you update your application before sending us logs.

Here are the version numbers of the applications that have the proper “Contact Softron Support” feature:

Fixed an issue when using the Apple USB to Ethernet adapter with dongles

Added the “Contact Support” button in the System Preferences pane to easily Gather all the logs required for support

Updated the Videohub plugin to show the names of inputs and outputs

Updated the Videohub plugin to display also the monitoring outputs

A logo can now be automatically assigned to a clip if it is placed in the same folder and with the same name as the clip

Add an option to use in as-run-logs, the file names instead of QuickTime’s Display Name

WARNING: this is an important release for all Mountain Lion (10.8) users as it fixes an issue that would make the application crash when the network was lost or an audio device was removed/added. This is a bug introduced by Apple in 10.8. We found a workaround available here. Please update.